Josh Wilson sings of God's healing

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Singer Josh Wilson has used his gift for songwriting to encourage others to get through their trials.

Carry Me, out from Sparrow Records on 9 April, is his personal testimony about how God helped him overcome debilitating panic attacks and anxiety.

The attacks came in the form of chest and shoulder pain, as well as difficulty breathing. Josh thought he was having a heart attack but the tests came back negative.

He tried to get his life back on track but soon he started waking up in the middle of the night gripped by anxiety and even cancelling scheduled performances because of the fear.

The frightening episodes didn't make him turn away from God though, but only seek the truth all the more in Scripture.

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"Philippians 4 says, 'Do not be anxious about anything . . . the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,'" he shares. "I prayed for that and each day would say, 'God, I can't make it without you. I need you to carry me.' And He did, and He still does.

"He carried me through each day even before I experienced the anxiety, but I just didn't realise it. It took these difficult moments for me to realise how much I need Jesus."

His personal experience inspires each song on Carry Me, starting with the opening track, "Pushing Back the Dark" and its welcome reminder that even if there is a storm raging inside, there is a bright hope within us too.

The title track, also the first to be released to radio, inspires listeners to find blessings in the brokenness of anxiety.

"'Carry Me' is a simple, honest prayer for God to hold on to my fragile heart," he explains.

"All I can do in those moments is pray. Ultimately, this difficult season has caused me to rely on God's strength to carry me through each day.

"I've been praying more often and more earnestly, and I'm thankful that coming to the end of myself has brought me so close to a Father and Saviour who loves me and will never leave me."